Uvesafb

How to : Framebuffer: Userspace VESA VGA graphics support

Uvesafb is an improved framebuffer driver for Linux systems with some enhancements compared to vesa. Uvesafb can allow you to get a full-resolution console, even if you have installed a graphics driver that does not support full-resolution consoles. Examples of drivers like these: ati-drivers and NVidia-drivers.

Kernel configuration

Before we emerge the required packages for uvesafb functionality, we have to configure the kernel properly.

Bootloader configuration

If you compiled uvesafb into the kernel (not as a module), you can configure its behavior by editing the 'params += ' line in /etc/boot.conf. Below, some of the more common switches used with uvesafb are explained.

video=uvesafb:<screen y-res>x<screen x-res>-<color depth>: Tells the kernel that you want to use the uvesafb driver for console output. Also specifies that you will be using uvesafb at a set x-screen resolution, y screen-resolution, and color depth. Set the first part to the size of your screen (in pixels). For example, if I had a 1920x1080 screen and wanted a color depth of 32, I would add the following: video=uvesafb:1920x1080-32

mtrr:x: X represents the number 0 or 3. This option allows you to set up the memory type range registers for uvesafb. Setting x=0 disables mtrr and setting x=3 enables mtrr. x=3 is the default setting for this switch. mtrr:3 is recommended.